


Amortentia

by caffeinatedgiraffe



Category: Star Wars - All Media Types, Star Wars Sequel Trilogy
Genre: Alternate Universe - Hogwarts, Armitage Hux Needs A Hug, Background Reylo, Brendol Hux's A+ Parenting, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Gingerflower, Gingerrose - Freeform, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, POV Armitage Hux, POV Rose Tico, Plot What Plot, Redeemed Ben Solo, Redeemed Hux (Eventually), Rey & Rose Tico Are Best Friends, Slow Burn, Snoke Being a Dick, alternating pov, background stormpilot, past finnrose
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-28
Updated: 2020-04-15
Packaged: 2021-02-27 11:34:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 16,078
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22446472
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/caffeinatedgiraffe/pseuds/caffeinatedgiraffe
Summary: Fifth year Slytherin Armitage Hux was looking forward to returning to Hogwarts and his beloved routine. After achieving his goal of making Prefect, he was sure this was going to be the best term yet.That is until Ben Solo, the closest thing Hux has ever had to a friend, drops a bomb on him that changes everything. As if that wasn’t enough, he is forced to be partners with Muggle-lover Rose Tico during Potions class. Rose stands for everything Hux hates - and for Rose, the feeling is very mutual.A Gingerrose/Gingerflower Hogwarts AU
Relationships: Armitage Hux & Ben Solo, Armitage Hux/Rose Tico, Poe Dameron & Finn & Rey & Rose Tico
Comments: 56
Kudos: 114





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi there! This is my first fic in the Star Wars fandom, as well as my first larger fic with multiple chapters planned. Absolutely no one asked for a Gingerrose Hogwarts AU, but I'm writing one anyways because, why not? :P Can't promise much in the way of a plot either, but I can guarantee lots of angst, (eventual) fluff, and some of that good old-fashioned slow-burn, enemies to lovers goodness - with a dash of magic thrown in. 
> 
> Thanks for stopping by and I hope you enjoy! :)

Armitage Hux knew exactly three things about his mother. 

One: She had red hair;

Two: She was a Muggle;

Three: She was a barmaid at a tavern. 

Oh, yeah. And she didn’t want him. Make that _four_ things. 

His father, Brendol Hux, refused to tell him any more than that. Any curiosity young Armitage once had on the matter had been effectively beaten out of him by his father long before he could even read or write. He’d learned very quickly that that particular topic was completely and non-negotiably off-limits and he was to keep his questions to himself. Still, that didn’t keep Brendol from reminding his son at every opportunity that his mother hadn’t wanted him - especially when he was in one of his more volatile moods. And how that was all for the best because Muggles had no place in the wizarding world. Not only did they not have a place in the wizarding world, but their very existence was a threat to the survival of _their_ kind. Wizarding kind. Even now, Armitage could hear his father’s bitter words to him, repeated time and again like a mantra in that icy voice of his. Haunting him always no matter if he was awake or asleep. (“I am telling you this for your own good, Armitage. So you don’t make the same mistakes I did.”;“Never trust a Muggle, son. Trust a Muggle-sympathizer even less.”)

Eventually, Hux had arrived at his own conclusions about his mother and had formed his own truths about the world he lived in. And by the time he received his letter to the Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, these beliefs had already been firmly planted in his mind, deeply rooted in his very soul (the existence of which had been called into question many a time by his peers). Beliefs which were immediately validated the moment he was sorted into Slytherin, his own father’s house, and he was welcomed with open arms by like-minded individuals. 

Now he was getting ready to begin his fifth year at Hogwarts, and Armitage had been counting down the days until the end of the summer practically since he’d boarded the Hogwarts Express to go home at the end of the previous term. There was nothing for him at home, where all that was waiting for him was his father’s cold, disapproving looks - and his even colder, disapproving words. Three months of constant disappointment and failure. Failing his father. Failing the Wizarding community. Failing himself. (It seemed the only one he wasn’t constantly failing was his orange longhaired Persian named Millicent - and even then, the permanent judgmental look on her slightly squashed-looking face made it difficult to tell.)

Hogwarts was different though. 

At Hogwarts, Armitage Hux knew exactly where he stood. There was structure and routine and discipline. And he _thrived_ under that sort of environment. _Craved_ it. He lived and breathed it. And it wasn’t long before his hard work and discipline had started to pay off. He earned top marks in (almost) every subject and was at the top of his class. Not only that, but going into his fifth year, he had been chosen to be one of the Prefects for Slytherin House: A goal he had been working towards practically since the day he’d received his letter. He would wear this literal badge of honor with pride. He would show everyone - his father, and Professor Snoke, the Head of Slytherin House and Potions Master - that he was worthy of it and deserved to wear the badge. 

* * *

Hux pinned the shiny golden badge with the letter ‘P’ on it to the front of his robes and smiled at his reflection in the mirror of his dormitory, lips curling upwards ever so slightly. He stood back to get a better look at his entire ensemble, straightening his green and silver tie and snugging the knot up tighter. He carefully smoothed back his red hair to ensure not a single, solitary strand escaped from its heavily-gelled place and gave a satisfied nod. 

Just then, the door to his dorm room suddenly flew open, sending a frightened Millicent jumping an impressive several feet in the air from her luxurious cat bed with a loud yelp. 

“Honey, I’m home!” Declared the loud, familiar voice of one of his dorm mates. 

“Ben Solo,” Hux said with a hint of disdain, before turning around to scoop Millicent up and offer her comforting strokes and murmur soft, placating words in her ears. 

“I've said it before and I'll say it again: Your relationship with that cat is weird, man. You know that, right?” Ben snickered and plopped down on his bed across from Hux’s, reclining with his arms behind his head.

“Oh, like you’re suddenly an expert on relationships,” Hux scoffed and rolled his eyes. Ben Solo was Headmistress Organa's son and had shocked both his Gryffindor parents when he was sorted into Slytherin. He'd been at odds with them ever since. They didn't much approve of most of his choices. Or his friends for that matter. Typical Gryffindor.

There was a significant pause then - significant enough to make Hux look up at the other fifth year, suspicious. 

“What, no comeback?” 

Ben was sitting up now, carefully avoiding eye contact with Hux. He reached up and rubbed the back of his neck uncomfortably. 

“Actually, um...I’m kind of seeing someone now.” 

Hux just continued to stare at Ben silently, his suspicions continuing to rise. He didn’t know why, but he really didn’t like the direction this conversation was heading in. He carefully placed Millicent back down on her fluffy purple bed and waited for Ben to continue.

“Okay. I’m just going to come out and say it. Just...promise me you won’t, like, freak out or anything?” Ben turned to face Hux more fully from his bed, looking up at him with big puppy-dog eyes on his equally big and dopey face.

Hux crossed his arms. He would make no such promises. 

“It’s Rey,” Ben blurted. 

Silence. 

Hux’s expression was blank and indiscernible as he stared at Ben across the room. His eyes were glassy, unfocused.

“You, uh, you alright there, buddy? Did you hear me?” Ben asked tentatively, waving his hand experimentally in front of Hux's face. Uh oh. This did not bode well. 

“Hux?” He tried again. “Come on, say _something_. Please?”

Hux blinked, his blue eyes refocusing on Ben. His fists were clenched tightly by his sides, his knuckles white.

“What. In the actual. _Bloody_ hell. Is _WRONG WITH YOU, SOLO_ ?” He spat out through gritted teeth, jaw clenched tightly. It was taking everything in him right now not to pull out his wand and hit the other Slytherin with a hex. This was utterly unacceptable. The deceit! The betrayal! Sure, he and Solo had never really been the closest of friends. Hux didn’t really have much use for those. But they’d been something of friendly rivals since day one at Hogwarts. Allies, even. Had all of that meant _nothing_ to the other boy?

“I know, I know,” Ben said, raising his hands defensively. “It’s a lot to take in. I mean, no one was more surprised than me--” 

“How long?” Hux asked suddenly, cutting the other boy off. 

“What? Oh. A couple months...It happened over the summer. We kind of kept in touch over owl, and one thing led to another and--”

Hux raised his hand, cutting Ben off for a second time. Then he pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes. 

“Stop. I don’t want to hear all the disgusting, bloody, details.”

Ben shifted uncomfortably, rocking back and forth on his feet, shoving his hands into the pockets of his slacks, unsure how to proceed. Hux did it for him. 

“She’s a filthy Mudblood, Ben! Filthy, Mudblood _scum_!” He exploded. “I thought you hated her! Her and the rest of that sorry lot of Mudbloods and Muggle-lovers she runs with!” 

The more he thought about it, the angrier he got. Rey and her little band of misfit witches and wizards had been a constant thorn in Hux’s side since their very first year at Hogwarts, always seeking to undermine him or embarrass him at every opportunity. And Rey? Rey was like their _leader_ , and now _his_ friend - _ally_ , whatever - was dating her. Orphan Rey, who grew up in the foster system. Hufflepuff Rey. Rey nobody from fecking nowhere. _This_ was the girl Ben Solo had chosen to snog. It was bloody disgusting.

“I _did_ hate her,” Ben replied. “Until I didn’t. I’m not really even sure how or when. I guess I’ve liked her for a while now, I just...I didn’t know what to _do_ with that,” he admitted, looking over at Hux a bit helplessly, pleading with him to try to understand. 

Hux shook his head. No. Nope. He did not understand. He didn’t _want_ to understand. He felt sick to his stomach, nauseated. He couldn’t even _look_ at Ben right now. Ben opened his mouth to say something else, but before he could get the words out, Hux interrupted him. 

“I have nothing more to say to you, Solo. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have patrol duty.” Straightening his badge on his robes, Hux strode out of the room, not sparing Ben another glance. 

As soon as his friend was gone, Ben sighed deeply, his shoulders sagging heavily. He looked up then to find Millicent staring at him with yellow eyes and her usual judgmental expression on her face. 

“That went well, didn't it?”

Millicent just hissed threateningly.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. I’ll sleep with one eye open tonight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will most likely be from Rose's POV, though that is always subject to change.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's Halloween at Hogwarts! For Rose, it's a bittersweet day. 
> 
> Also, for all you Reylos, Ben Solo being angsty and Rey trying to distract him. ;)

Halloween at Hogwarts was kind of a big deal.

The entire school buzzed with excitement leading up to the much-anticipated day. Halloween meant feasting and gathering with friends. It meant games and decorations. And it also coincided with the first weekend trip to Hogsmeade. The Great Hall's usual furnishings had been charmed away and replaced with seasonally appropriate trimmings for the festivities. The starry ceiling stayed but instead of the usual candles floating overhead, there were hundreds of enchanted jack-o'-lanterns of all shapes and sizes and expressions which were ever-changing based on their current moods. During the day they were asleep, but at night they woke, their flames magically lighting from within and flickering to provide ambient lighting. There were also live bats which flew around under the night sky of the ceiling - and then there were the many ghosts and spirits that materialized on the evening of the feast to join in the festivities, dancing and reminiscing with students about the days of yore. 

For fifth year Hufflepuff Rose Tico, Halloween was meaningful for reasons that went beyond the sweets and the decorations and the _magic_ of it all - though that was certainly a part of it. Halloween had been her sister Paige’s most favorite holiday. Being that Rose came from a “mixed” family - her mother being a witch of English descent, and her father an American-born Muggle - they had celebrated the holiday with both Muggle traditions and magical traditions. It had been the best of both worlds, really. Rose and Paige would get dressed up and go trick-or-treating, their costumes having been planned months in advance. Then after that, they would hide out and eat their candy and watch their mother scare the neighborhood children senseless using charms to animate their Halloween decorations. Their house was always the best-decorated one on the block, and the most popular by far. And the best part was, no one questioned anything at all because it was Halloween and everyone assumed it was just a trick. And technically it was.

Halloween was not all fond memories for Rose, however. It was a bittersweet time for her because it also happened to be the anniversary of Paige’s death. It had been six years now since the car accident. A hit-and-run. Rose and her parents had come out of it bruised and broken, but still breathing. Paige had not, and had been killed instantly. She had been 10 years old at the time, Rose merely 9. She had lost her best friend that day. 

Over time, the pain of losing her best friend had lessened, though there wasn't a day that went by that Rose didn't think of her. How proud she would have been when she'd received her letter to Hogwarts. A lot of sisters in Paige's position might have been jealous or upset that the magical gene had skipped them. Not Paige. She'd only ever been supportive of Rose, her biggest fan and fiercest protector in everything, always. When Rose had had a stutter as a child, Paige stood up for her when the other school children or neighborhood kids made fun of her or even so much as looked at her funny. Paige had always been so brave, and there had been many times where she wished she still had Paige to lean on. She always knew exactly what to do or what to say to make her feel better. 

After Rose had received her letter to Hogwarts, her parents decided to move them from America, where they'd lived since before Rose and Paige were born, to London where Rose's mother was born and raised. After everything that had happened, they were all looking forward to a fresh start.

“Hey. You okay, Rose?”

The familiar voice cut through Rose's thoughts and brought her back to the present. Blinking behind her blue rimmed cat-eye glasses, she nodded her head and managed a small, weak smile that didn't quite reach her deep brown eyes. “Yeah. Yeah, I'm fine," she told Rey, who was currently sitting across from her with her new boyfriend, Ben Solo, at breakfast. 

“You sure...?” Her fellow Hufflepuff asked with a concerned expression on her face, her gaze lowering pointedly. Rose glanced down at herself and realized she was clutching the metallic crescent-shaped pendant that she always wore around her neck, turning it over and over in her fingers as she so often did whenever her thoughts turned to her sister; or whenever she was nervous or upset and needed to draw some extra strength or comfort. Paige had worn a necklace just like it, which was now buried with her.

Rose stopped fidgeting with the medallion and nodded once more. “Yeah, I’m sure. Today is just kind of hard. But Paige would’ve wanted me to enjoy it, so that’s what I’m going to try to do,” Rose said, giving Rey a brighter, more determined smile. 

Rey gave her friend a sympathetic look and reached across the table to give Rose’s hand a gentle squeeze. Ben was quietly brooding, as per usual, having barely touched his breakfast. Rose noted he appeared a bit distracted as well, and kept stealing dark glances over at the table where many of the Slytherins liked to congregate. The table he used to sit at. Rose and Rey exchanged a look. 

As if reading his mind, Rey gave Ben a little nudge. “Hey, forget them, okay? If they’re going to kick you out of their stupid little club just because you’re not playing by their ridiculous rules, then they’re idiots. You don’t need them. Yeah?” 

Ben gave a non-committal grunt and a shrug, apparently not quite so convinced. Rose actually had to stifle a laugh at that point because he just looked so damn forlorn and pathetic. She couldn’t believe that _this_ was the boy that had, up until very recently, been one of the most feared students at Hogwarts. He’d definitely been voted Most Likely To Turn Dark Wizard several years in a row.

“I bet I know what would take your mind off of it…” Rey said suggestively, scooching closer to Ben and then leaned in to plant a kiss on his lips, effectively blocking his view of his former allies. 

Rose looked away to grant them a little privacy, and found herself glancing curiously in the direction of Ben’s ex-cronies. There was Armitage Hux, as well as Phasma and Jannah, all fifth years - and each one just as nasty and horrid as the next. They took sick pleasure in tormenting those they viewed as weaker or lesser than them - which more often than not included Muggle-born students like Rey, or half-bloods like herself. But they reserved a very special kind of hatred for those witches and wizards of pure blood who associated or supported Muggles or half-bloods; “Blood traitors,” as they were often referred to by purists. And now that Ben Solo fit into the latter category, he’d been effectively ostracised from their little clique. Whereas Ben had been something of a leader of the pack before, that role had been effectively filled by one Armitage Hux. 

As if on cue, Rose felt an odd sensation - a small prickle along her spine which alerted her that she’d been staring for far too long and had been found out. Now Hux was looking back at her with the usual sneer on his long, angular face, and narrowed eyes which gave the impression that he’d like nothing more than to end her very existence right then and there. Rose gave a shiver and looked away quickly. 

“‘Ey! Give it a rest you two!” A loud voice boomed from across the room, effectively breaking up Rey and Ben’s kiss - which had evidently done its job and had now turned into a full-on make-out session while Rose wasn’t looking.

They were joined then by two more friends; Finn, the owner of the aforementioned voice, and his boyfriend, Poe Dameron. Finn was a fellow Hufflepuff and fifth year who had grown up with Rey in the foster system and was practically a brother to her. Poe Dameron was a Gryffindor and also a fifth year. He was ridiculously popular and attractive - an ace on a broom and current Gryffindor seeker. He’d most likely make Captain of Gryffindor’s team next year once the current Captain graduated.

Rey stuck her tongue out at Finn, who blew a raspberry right back. “Like you’re one to talk, Finn. We’ve all had to put up with you and Dameron being disgustingly cute for the past, what? Year?” Rey teased.

“Actually, it’s one year, three months, and seven days,” Poe chimed in helpfully as he casually bit into an apple. Everyone stared at him. 

“What?” Poe asked around a mouthful of food. “Did I say something wrong?” 

Finn shook his head, smiling fondly at his boyfriend. “You never cease to amaze me, Dameron.” 

“What can I say? I like to keep things interesting. Keeps the mystery alive,” Poe said with a wink.

Rose smiled, though her smile turned a bit wistful and she watched the two couples together. She was happy for her friends, of course. Though she couldn’t help but feel a bit like an awkward fifth wheel now that Rey and Ben were dating. She just wished she had what they did. She and Finn had actually dated for a stint, during their third year. On the surface, they had seemed like the perfect couple. They were similar in a lot of ways. They shared a lot of the same interests and values. They’d certainly been attracted to each other. But in the end, Rose just couldn’t help but feel like something was lacking. She loved him, but she wasn’t _in love_ with him. So eventually she had called it off, and was relieved to find that Finn felt similarly. It had been very amicable as far as break-ups went, which Rose was glad for. She valued Finn’s friendship a lot, and she would have hated to end on bad terms.

“Why so glum, Solo?” Poe asked then, noting the furtive glances Ben kept stealing at the Slytherin table. “You still sad about your break-up with Hugs?” 

Hugs was Dameron’s nickname for Hux. Which the ginger haired Slytherin hated, of course. Though Rose supposed that was the point. 

“Be nice, Dameron,” Rose piped up then, shooting Poe a warning look. Poe held up his hands in surrender. 

“I _am_ being nice! Just, I think Ben here should spend more time in the present, ‘stead of worryin’ about those dingbats over there.”

“That’s ‘cause you don’t know ‘em like I do…” Ben muttered under his breath. Rey patted his arm comfortingly. 

“Hey, don’t worry. We’ve got your back now, Solo,” Rose told Ben, to which he managed a half-smile. 

Rose had had her reservations about Ben Solo at first, of course. When Rey had first told her she liked him, she had not been happy. Not after all him and his friends had put them through. But Rose and the others eventually figured that Ben probably wouldn’t risk complete ostracisation from his friends unless he was serious about Rey. Besides, anyone with working eyes and half a brain could see that Ben and Rey were completely mad for one another. And Rose was willing to forgive a lot of things in the name of love. She was a hopeless romantic that way. 

“But you hurt her, and I’ll still kill you,” Rose added, shooting him a surprisingly convincing menacing look. Ben raised his eyebrows upwards a hair.

“I’d listen to her if I were you, mate,” Finn piped up again. “Our Rosie might look small and sweet, but you don’t want to cross wands with her.” 

“Yeah, you don’t want to end up on a healer’s bad side either. Trust me,” Poe added, with a look that implied he was speaking from experience. 

“Not a healer yet, Poe,” Rose corrected. Poe was referring to the fact that Rose volunteered in the hospital wing under Madam D’Acy during her free time. She aspired to one day be a healer after finishing her studies at Hogwarts.

“Yeah, well. You might as well be. You’ve repaired my broken ass more times than I can count,” Poe responded. 

Rose smiled at that. He wasn’t wrong. She got in a lot of practice setting and regrowing bones during the Quidditch games. Rose glanced down at her wristwatch then and gave a groan. “Great, it’s almost time for Potions…” Her groan was echoed by her friends. 

Ben stiffened noticeably. Potions was taught by Professor Snoke, the current Head of Slytherin House. He was not popular among the students, and he seemed to like it that way. He was a cruel man that liked to play favorites and enjoyed pitting the students against each other. 

“Well, better go get this torture over with, then,” Finn said. “Then we can plan our trip to Hogsmeade after!” 

“That’s the spirit!” Poe said, slinging his arm around his boyfriend’s shoulders as they all stood up to go. 

Rose nodded, determined to focus on the positive and enjoy the spirit of the holiday, despite what challenges might come her way. 

_For you, Paige_. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the slow start and all the exposition, and thanks for bearing with me. I hope it wasn't *too* boring. Next chapter things will ramp up a bit with some delicious conflict. :)


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“Armitage Hux and Rose Tico. Congratulations, you are now partners.”_
> 
> Hux hates Halloween and has a no good, very bad day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I apologize to anyone reading for the super long wait between updates! I am a mom of three small children, 4 years old and younger, and now with this quarantine situation, I'm finding it even harder to find the time to write since my oldest isn't able to attend his preschool. Anyways, I wrote a longer chapter this time to hopefully make up for it. And I'm going to try to update more regularly now, but no promises! Just know I'm doing my best and I hope you all enjoy reading as much as I'm enjoying writing this story. <3
> 
> As mentioned previously, this chapter is mostly from Hux's POV. 
> 
> P.S. Thank you muchly to [partialresonance](https://archiveofourown.org/users/partialresonance/profile) for the the quick beta read of this chapter. You da best! <3

Armitage Hux loathed Halloween.

It was a ridiculous holiday with its absurd traditions and childish games and gaudy decorations. And he absolutely did not trust anyone that claimed it was their favorite holiday. 

He couldn't wait for it to be over so that things could return to business as usual. He hated that it was all everyone seemed to want to talk about. Hux just wanted his normal routine back. 

As Phasma and Jannah prattled on about what they were going to wear to the Hogsmeade trip that weekend, Hux tuned them out, idly pushing his food around on his plate. He then found himself staring off into space - and before he could stop himself, he was suddenly making eye contact with one Ben Solo, sitting across the hall with his mudblood girlfriend and his new, pathetic friends. The _traitor._ Hux’s body went rigid and he glared at Ben with all the hate he could muster, refusing to be the one to back down first in this silent staring contest. Eventually, Ben became otherwise occupied, engaged in a vomit-inducing liplock with his girlfriend. _Ugh_. 

Hux looked away quickly, disgusted. Only to realize someone else was staring at him now.

Rose Tico. 

Another one of those bleeding heart Hufflepuffs. A half-blood, like himself; but unlike him, she _embraced_ that side of herself - that weakness - instead of rejecting it as she should. She celebrated it, even. As if it was something to be proud of. It was revolting. A bloody disgrace. 

Rose was also, admittedly, very bright. One of the brightest witches at Hogwarts currently, Hux reckoned. She could have made an excellent Ravenclaw, had the Sorting Hat seen fit to put her there. But it had not. Whether Rose had influenced the Sorting Hat's decision, Hux didn't know. And he supposed it didn't matter. At the end of the day, she was just another one of those pathetic Muggle-sympathizers. A mudblood. _Vermin_. Such wasted potential. 

Hux narrowed his green eyes at her, his face contorting with pure disgust. She looked away then and Hux smiled - though it was not a kind smile by any stretch of the imagination. He felt a strong sense of satisfaction, seeing her reaction to him. It made him feel _powerful_ , to see people cower away from his gaze or otherwise avoid him out of fear. And he _needed_ to feel powerful. To feel in control. It was like some drug or potion for him, one he craved after being deprived of it in so many other areas of his life.

Hux was suddenly aware that Jannah and Phasma had become suspiciously quiet and were staring at him strangely. 

“What? What are you two looking at?” He narrowed his eyes at them. 

“Oh, nothing. We just, um...We realized you probably didn’t want to hear us talking about the Hogsmeade trip is all,” Phasma answered, not quite meeting Hux’s eyes. Jannah speared a piece of meat and popped it into her mouth, suddenly very interested in one of the enchanted jack-o-lanterns floating above her. 

“How very _thoughtful_ of you,” Hux sneered, in a tone that suggested he did not find it thoughtful at all. 

Jannah and Phasma exchanged awkward glances and Hux just rolled his eyes and stood up from the table abruptly. He had hardly touched his food but he found he didn’t have much of an appetite anyways.

“I’m quite full. I’ll see you both in Potions,” he said quickly, and began his retreat before they had a chance to respond or question him.

As soon as he was away from the Great Hall - and the prying eyes of other people - he allowed his carefully crafted, unfeeling expression to crumple. 

As much as he tried to convince himself that he didn’t care about stupid, juvenline things like field trips, deep down - in a well-hidden place where he concealed his feelings from both himself and the rest of the world - he did care. He cared very much, in fact. 

It hurt that he was one of the only students at Hogwarts who didn’t have permission to go on trips to Hogsmeade. It hurt being left behind every time, while his friends and classmates went off to relax and enjoy themselves. And it _hurt_ having to sit there and listen to all the stories, all the inside jokes from his peers, time and time again. So it was just easier, less _painful_ , to act like he didn’t care. To distance himself from all of it emotionally. Whenever someone tried to talk to him about it, or asked him why he couldn’t go (or worse yet, tried to offer him their _pity_ ), Hux had a number of well-practiced, perfected responses at the ready. (After all, he had a wonderful role model to imitate.)

As Brendol Hux so aptly put it, Hogsmeade was: _‘A complete waste of time. Nothing but a distraction.’_ Then there was this timeless, classic Brendolism: _‘How are you going to keep your place at the top of your class, Armitage, if you don’t focus on your studies?’_ Or, Hux’s personal favorite: _‘Excellence demands sacrifice.’_

Hux had become rather skilled at making it sound like he actually believed those things over the years. He was so convincing that most people usually avoided talking about Hogsmeade around him altogether - which was just fine by him.

Hux decided that since it was almost time for Potions class anyways, he was just going to show up early. Perhaps even earn some extra points with Snoke. After a quick detour to his dorm room to grab his textbooks and more parchment paper for note-taking (and to give Millicent some attention and treats), he continued on his way to the Potions classroom, also located in the dungeons near the Slytherin Common Room. 

He was about to enter the Potions classroom, but stopped short when he heard two voices engaged in what sounded like a very _lively_ discussion on the other side of the partially-open, ancient wooden door. He paused, his hand hovering just over the handle, and squinted through the small crack of open space.

It was Snoke and Professor Sloane, the Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher. Their hushed tones told him this wasn’t a conversation meant for his ears, and he started to consider the ethics behind eavesdropping, debating with himself internally…

And then he heard his name. 

Hux blinked, surprised. Any previous reservations he held about eavesdropping were immediately forgotten, and he lowered his face closer to the door, trying to get a better view, straining to hear more of their conversation…

Sloane’s back was to him, but he could tell from her body language that she was not happy. There was obvious tension between the pair, though Snoke maintained his typical icy, cool exterior. A small twitch in one of his eyes was the only insight into what was going on beneath that gnarled, heavily-scarred mask of his. 

“...Your concern for the boy is admirable, Sloane. Truly. However, it is extremely misguided. You would do well to worry about your own charges, and leave my Slytherins to me. Surely Ravenclaw House has no shortage of lost, troubled souls for you to guide?” 

“Don’t patronize me, Snoke,” Sloane replied, her tone equally chilly. “You know very well that Armitage and I have known each other for many years. Long before you started to hook your claws into him...He trusts me. And I’ll be damned before I do anything to betray that trust. He doesn’t have anyone else looking out for his well-being and-”

“His _well-being_?” Snoke barked a laugh. “And you’re an expert on that now, are you?” 

Hux could practically feel Sloane glaring at Snoke, even though he couldn’t see her face from his angle. 

“A bit self-important, isn’t it? You think you know more about what’s best for Armitage than myself? The one that has helped him achieve such greatness already at Hogwarts? Or say, his own _father,_ the man who raised him?” He paused, a slow, smug smile tugging his thin lips upwards. “I never believed Rae Sloane to be such an egomaniac, but it seems I’m learning something new about my colleague today. And I must say, it’s not very becoming of you, my dear.”

“I know what you’re doing. And I’m not taking the bait. Deflect and deny it all you want, Snoke, but I _know_ your type. You might have some people fooled into thinking you’re just a brilliant wizard with a passion for molding young minds. But not me. I know grooming when I see it. I used to teach at The Academy, after all.”

“Ah, yes...The Academy. That failed project of Gallius Rax’s…” Snoke gave a heavy sigh. “Such a pity the Ministry shut him down...They were doing some fine work over there, preparing the next generation of pure-blood witches and wizards...Though I always wondered how it was that young Armitage was allowed to attend. His father must have known someone high up...or else someone owed him a favor.” Snoke shrugged. “I suppose it doesn’t matter now, does it? Although I do find it rather... _interesting_....” Snoke tapped a long, bony finger to his chin thoughtfully, “...Were you not dismissed from your duties there just before Minister Holdo and her pals launched their investigation of the Academy and forced Rax to close down operations?” 

Sloane did not respond. 

“Hmm...Yes, the timing of everything always did strike me as odd, don’t you think, Professor Sloane?” He smirked at her.

Finally, Sloane spoke up again.

“You aren’t the only one who’s been doing their research, Professor Snoke,” she said calmly. “And it strikes _me_ as very odd, that a man of your... _talent_ has practically no record to speak of. There is almost no trace, whatsoever, on one Viktor Snoke. I wonder what you make of that... _Professor_?”

At first glance, Snoke appeared to be completely and utterly unaffected by what his colleague said - save for the small, subtle twitch of his eye. If one blinked, they might miss it entirely. It was the man’s only tell that perhaps something that Sloane said had gotten underneath his pale, wrinkled skin; his only tell that perhaps, he was, in fact, capable of fear.

“Luckily for you," Sloane continued, "I have no tangible proof of anything at the present moment. But just know that I will be continuing to look into this matter. And I will be watching Armitage _very_ closely this year. If I get wind of anything even _remotely_ untoward... I will be doubling my efforts. I will not allow any further harm to come to the boy. Not here at Hogwarts. I might not be able to protect him from the likes of Brendol Hux, but Hogwarts is his one safe place. And it is my _job_ to see to it that it remains that way.”

Several long moments of tense silence passed between them before either one of them spoke again.

“It is almost time for my class to begin. If you don’t mind, Professor Sloane…” Snoke gestured towards the door with a hand. 

“Of course,” Sloane replied. “It was such a _pleasure_ speaking with you, Snoke. But I do hope we don’t make it a habit.” She gave him a final, threatening look and then turned abruptly, her long robes swishing behind her as she made her exit. 

Outside the classroom, Hux’s eyes widened and he quickly scrambled away from the door and Sloane’s fast-approaching figure, trying to appear as inconspicuous as possible.

He ended up leaning against the wall outside of the classroom, with one of his textbooks open at an odd angle. 

Sloane halted when she saw him, looking surprised. “Armitage?” 

Hux looked up from his book with all the innocence he could muster. “Oh. Hullo, Professor Sloane.” 

“Hello…” Sloane replied, narrowing her dark eyes slightly at him, and then glanced briefly and worriedly back at the classroom she’d just exited. 

Hux frowned, looking concerned. “Something wrong, Professor?” 

Sloane blinked and shook her head. “Oh, no. No, of course not.” She smiled reassuringly. “...Have you been waiting here long?” She asked, casually.

Hux paused a beat. “...Not really, no. Just brushing up on some reading before class,” he said, indicating the textbook he had open with a nod of his head.

“I see…” Sloane said, looking somewhat relieved. “Well, very good. I’ll leave you to it, then.” She smiled at him, but then hesitated for a moment, looking as if she was considering saying something else. 

“And...be careful, Armitage,” she said finally - and vaguely. 

“Sorry?” Hux replied with a frown. “What do you mean? Careful of what?” Some of the words he’d heard exchanged between Snoke and Sloane just moments ago replayed in his mind. 

They were interrupted, however, by a group of students descending the staircase into the dungeons and walking their way. Sloane looked at him with a slightly pained expression. 

“Just...be careful. Not everyone is who they seem,” she glanced pointedly towards the door to the Potions classroom and then back at him. “Be smart, Armitage.” 

She placed a hand on his shoulder, and gave it a gentle, parting squeeze. And then she was gone. 

Hux stood outside of the Potions classroom, mind reeling from everything he’d just heard, and feeling slightly nauseated. He had so many questions…

But they would have to wait. Students were already filing past him and into the Potions classroom. So much for being early. 

Taking a moment to compose himself, Hux took a deep breath in through his nose and exhaled slowly through his mouth. There was no room for distractions or weakness of any kind in Snoke’s classroom. The Potions Master would pick up on it immediately and use it against him, as he had done many times before with Hux and other students. Snoke had no qualms about public shaming and humiliation. 

Not today though. 

_Spine straight. Shoulders back. Chin up._

Hux took one last deep breath, and then strode confidently into the classroom. 

The classroom located in the Hogwarts dungeon was deadly quiet. Now in their fifth year, the students knew better than to risk invoking Snoke’s wrath by making such a grievous error in judgement as _talking_. Save for the occasional sound of a quill scratching against parchment, it was so quiet one could probably hear a feather drop. 

At the head of the classroom stood Snoke observing his class through small, dark, beady eyes. His extremely long, bony fingers - with their equally long, sharply filed fingernails - rested in front of his chest, fingertips touching in a calculating manner. He occasionally paced the center aisle of the classroom, black robes billowing out behind him as he walked, the fabric just sweeping against the stone floor. The students meanwhile worked diligently and prayed they wouldn’t come under his critical, scrutinizing gaze. It was always an unpleasant experience. He somehow had the power to raise every single hair on the back of one’s neck just by his mere presence; similar to the feeling that prey must get when being hunted. But even that was very mild compared to the treatment one received if they made a mistake or otherwise displeased him.

Finally, after what seemed like years of their lives had gone by, Snoke spoke in that chilly, sinister drawl of his. 

“Quills down,” he commanded, and the students quickly obeyed. 

“Now,” Snoke drawled. "In just a moment, you will each choose a partner to work with for the remainder of the year on assignments and projects. You and your partner will also have to work together on the culminating project for the year, which will determine whether you pass - or fail - this class. So I suggest you choose _wisely_ …” He passed a look of judgment over them before he continued. 

“The culminating project will be to brew a batch of the Strengthening Potion and write an essay on its uses and properties. The Strengthening Potion is an advanced potion and takes time and _practice_ to perfect. Which is why you are choosing your partners now. Each pair will need to practice making it a few times - yes, _outside_ of class - before turning in your final product to me at the end of the term. Ideally this will be your strongest batch... Though I fully suspect some of you will ignore my directions and put off working on this project until the last possible moment and turn in a weak product to me. That is your choice, of course.” He waved a dismissive hand. 

“You may now choose your partners. You have exactly one minute, and if there are any stragglers after that, I will make the decision for you.” 

He looked at them expectantly, but everyone was still in their seats, looking at each other with varying degrees of uncertainty and confusion. Snoke pressed a finger to his temple and gave an impatient, long-suffering sigh.

“...Make that fifty seconds now. What are you half-wits waiting for? Get a move on! Now!” He barked and clapped his hands together. 

A small amount of chaos ensued then as students clamored to locate suitable companions. 

Hux looked at the empty seat next to him that Ben normally occupied and his expression darkened. Then there was Phasma and Jannah on the other side of him, who apparently had already partnered up. Phasma’s long arm was slung around Jannah’s shoulder and they both gave Hux matching apologetic looks to which Hux responded with a scathing glare. Utterly useless, the both of them. 

There wasn’t time to properly express his disappointment in the pair, however. Hux stood up quickly and scanned the classroom before he located a suitable individual that he was on friendly terms with. He strode over to them confidently.

“Mitaka,” he said to the Ravenclaw student with dark hair, one of his former comrades from the Academy. They’d worked together before and knew each other's strengths and quirks well. Dopheld Mitaka was an intelligent, hard-working individual.

“What do you say we partner up? Just like old times.”

It was only then that Hux noticed Mitaka wasn’t alone. The Ravenclaw student exchanged an awkward look with the boy sitting next to him and then looked up at Hux, giving him that same look that Jannah and Phasma had just given him. Ugh, pity. Hux hated pity. 

“Erm...Sorry, Hux. I would, but... I already agreed to be partners with Thannison,” Mitaka said, not quite meeting Hux’s gaze.

Hux struggled to maintain a neutral expression, despite that sinking feeling of disappointment that had formed in the pit of his stomach, along with mounting humiliation. This was like getting picked last for Quidditch again. Hux gave a tight smile.

“No, of course. I understand. Very well then. Good luck to the both of you,” Hux replied diplomatically and quickly excused himself, turning on his heel. 

_Bollocks. Now what am I supposed to do?_

Looking around the room, it appeared almost everyone had partnered off by now. Nevermind his _preferred_ options at this point. Now he was likely going to be stuck with someone with half a brain.

This was not ideal.

Kaydel Connix and Zorii Bliss, Gryffindors, had partnered up. Then there was Beaumont Kin, Ravenclaw, and Snap Wexley - a Gryffindor Beater. Finn and Poe, unsurprisingly, had also paired up, along with Ben and Rey. That left only one other person. And that person had also clearly connected the dots, and was currently staring back at him, looking equally displeased.

“Oh, bloody hell…” Hux muttered, his face twisting into an expression that looked like he’d just tasted an earwax-flavoured Bertie Bott’s Every Flavour Bean. 

“Alright! Time’s up!” Snoke suddenly shouted over the chatter, causing Hux to wince slightly. 

“Armitage Hux and Rose Tico. Congratulations, you are now partners.”

Hux opened his mouth to protest - but shut it promptly the moment he saw Snoke’s scathing expression. The Potions Master looked obviously and equally displeased with this development. And Hux knew why. 

He had failed. 

He should have been able to acquire a partner of his own choosing. A better partner. He should have asserted himself more, been more insistent. But instead, he’d been _weak_ . Cowardly. He’d let other people walk all over him, and for what? To be _nice_? To avoid hurting their _feelings_ ? What was wrong with him? What had being _nice_ ever done for him, anyways? Nothing, that’s what. _Absolutely nothing_. The only person he’d ever really been “nice” to in his life (or at least his version of nice) had ended up betraying him in the worst possible way. Stabbed him right in the back. 

Well, that was fine. As far as Hux was concerned, Ben Solo was dead to him now. 

“Silence!” Snoke roared, his commanding voice cutting through all of the chatter. “You may have the rest of the class to meet with your partner and formulate a plan for working on your project. But do it quietly. If it gets too loud in here, I’m assigning you all a one-thousand word essay on bezoar and its properties and uses.” 

There was a pause and he looked directly at Hux and Rose as he delivered the next words.

“ _Now._ That was not a suggestion.”

Growing red around the ears and the back of his neck, Hux unhappily returned to his former seat and roughly pulled out the chair beside him, gesturing to it silently and not looking to see if Rose was following or not.

With a heavy sigh, Rose gathered up her supplies in her arms, as Rey mouthed an apology to her. 

“You owe me,” Rose said in a hushed voice. “All of you,” she said, with a pointed look at Finn and Poe as well. 

Rose approached Hux then and quietly sank into the seat beside Hux and then scooted herself closer to the desk.

“So-” she began, but Hux abruptly cut her off. 

“I have a very busy schedule,” he said bluntly, still not looking at her. He was busy writing out something on a piece of parchment. “I’m taking extra classes this term and I’m also a Prefect, so my Prefect duties are a priority. Oh, and I’m President of the Herbology Club, and meetings are on Wednesday evenings, so that’s out.”

Rose blinked. “You’re...president of the Herbology Club?”

Hux paused, mid-stroke of his quill. “Yes. And...?” 

“Oh. It’s nothing. It’s just, I didn’t expect- I mean.... I didn’t know Hux - I mean _you_ \- were interested in Herbology,” Rose stammered awkwardly and then winced. Great, now she was fumbling over her words in front of Armitage Hux. She didn’t need him to think her more incompetent than he already so obviously assumed she was.

“Yes, well. It’s my favorite subject. Though I hardly see how this is relevant to our current task,” Hux said matter-of-factly and went back to fervently jotting down notes. 

“Right. Um, well...I volunteer in the hospital wing twice a week, on Tuesday and Thursdays. And also during Quidditch matches, with the healer team. So...I mean, it’s not ideal, but how do you feel about meeting on Saturday afternoons, at least to start?”

“That’s fine,” Hux said shortly, still not so much as a single glance in her direction. 

Rose was beginning to get annoyed with such overt, superior behavior and lack of common courtesy and she glared at the back of his perfectly slicked-back ginger head. 

“You know, it’s typically considered _polite_ to at least look at someone when they’re trying to have a conversation with you,” she said, not bothering to hide her annoyance. 

Hux’s hand tightened around his quill, the leather of his black gloves creaking lightly. Rose had never really noticed before, but she suddenly realized she’d never seen the Slytherin boy without his gloves on before…

“My _apologies,_ Miss Tico,” Hux responded in a voice that did not at all sound very remorseful. “But things like _politeness_ and _manners_ ...They are not rights, and in my opinion, not everyone deserves them,” he said, finally looking over at her with a cruel look in his striking green eyes. “Least of all common _vermin_ like yourself,” he sneered.

Rose glowered at him from behind her bright blue glasses, feeling her face get hot with anger and righteous indignation. She couldn't believe she had to work with this guy for the rest of the term! What had she done to deserve this? It was so completely unfair!

“Well I guess I'd rather be common vermin than an elitist pig,” Rose spat back at him. 

Hux blinked at her, a genuine look of surprise coloring his features briefly. 

Rose found his reaction to be extremely satisfying, and a small, smug smile tugged at the corner of her lips.

“What? Surprised the Hufflepuff has a backbone?” She asked. “Don't worry, it's a common misconception.”

Hux scowled at her, his eyebrows furrowing. “No, I assure you it's nothing quite that complimentary,” he retorted. 

Perhaps there was a small nugget of truth to what she said. But there was no way in hell he was going to admit to it out loud.

“So you can wipe that smile off your face, Tico. You look ridiculous.”

He looked away from her quickly then and attempted to go back to his note-taking. Only, he found he was entirely too flustered to concentrate now and he couldn't, for the life of him, remember what he had been writing before. (Which, in turn, only irritated him more.)

His scowl deepened. He needed to get a hold of himself. He couldn't let some...some awkward little Hufflepuff girl get the better of him. He was better than this. Better than _her_. 

Hmph. Rose _Tico_. 

Rose Tico with those ridiculous blue glasses and her equally questionable sense of fashion in general. Out of his peripheral vision he could see she was wearing her usual yellow and black striped tights that made her look like a human-sized bumblebee. She also wore a beat up pair of blue Converse sneakers and her hair was tied back in it's typical style of two matching buns that sat low at the nape of her neck - and she wore a dark green, knitted, beanie style hat on her head. In addition to that bizarre-looking crescent-shaped pendant she always wore around her neck, both arms were adorned practically up to her elbows with a myriad of mismatched, garish bracelets of all sorts of shapes and colors; bracelets that made all kinds of distracting noises when she moved. There were beaded bracelets and braided ones; glittery ones and dangly ones; thin ones and thick ones. It was exactly the sort of disorderly, tasteless nonsense that made Hux's skin crawl. He had the strong and sudden urge to reach over and rip every single one of those bracelets right off her wrists. He smiled at the thought.

“...Hellooo? Hux? Did you hear me? And why do you have that weird look on your face?”

Rose's voice cut through his thoughts then, effectively shattering his vindictive little fantasy. The smile disappeared from his face at once, replaced by an annoyed frown. 

“I don’t have a _weird_ look on my face,” he said defensively. 

“Uh, yeah. You did. You had this...funny smile on your face. It was kind of creepy if I’m being honest.”

Hux glared at her. 

“You know what? Never mind. You’re right, I probably don’t want to know. If it was making Armitage Hux smile, it probably wasn’t anything pleasant, right?” Rose said, then laughed at her own joke.

The look on Hux's face was decidedly anything but amused.

“Do you always have to say _everything_ you’re thinking?” He snapped at her.

“I don't say everything I'm thinking!” Rose protested. Now it was her turn to be defensive. “I mean...not _all_ the time. I just...Sometimes I talk a lot when I'm nervous, I guess.”

Hux raised his eyebrows at her. 

“Not that I'm nervous right _now_!” She said quickly, realizing how that sounded. She blushed lightly. “I mean, why would I be nervous? You're just...a person. A snobby, rude, bigoted person. But a person nonetheless. You don't scare me.” She said, meeting his eyes then with a defiant look in her own brown, almond-shaped ones. 

Hux wasn't quite sure what to make of that or how to respond. The way she spoke with so much _feeling_ and conviction made him somewhat uncomfortable. As did the way she was trying to humanize him - even while insulting him. It was all very confusing. And he did not like feeling confused. 

He quickly looked away from her. 

“Class is almost over and we've gotten way off topic,” he said, his tone carefully detached and business-like. “We still need to decide where we're meeting on Saturday. The library is where I work best. Minimal distractions. Is that acceptable to you?” 

"Yes…" Rose replied, eyeing him with confusion and wondering at his somewhat sudden change in demeanor. 

“Good,” Hux said abruptly, still carefully avoiding looking at her and jotting down a reminder to himself. He could feel her looking at him still and without looking up or stopping what he was doing, he added, “If you don't have anything more to discuss with me on the topic of Potions or our project, then you may leave.”

Rose glared at him. 

“Great, thank you for your permission,” she replied, her voice thick with sarcasm. She wasn’t sure why she was letting herself get so bothered. This was Hux, she reminded herself. He'd never given her any reason to think he'd act any differently towards her. And it wasn’t as if she really wanted to stick around him longer than she absolutely had to either. But his whole _attitude_ just grated on her. Did he have to be so...so damn _rude_? 

Rose gathered up her materials in a huff and then stood. “See you Saturday, I guess,” she said in an unhappy tone, and then pushed her chair in with more force than absolutely necessary. 

No sooner had Rose stormed off and sat down in her original seat than Snoke clapped his hands together, effectively silencing the class. 

“That is all we have time for today. Don’t forget your essays on the Invigoration Draught are due to me by next class. You are now dismissed.”

A collective, unspoken sense of relief seemed to descend over the classroom then. They had all made it through another Potions class, more or less in one piece.

Hux began to gather up his belongings, but then he heard the dreaded words, spoken in that icy, forbidding voice.

“...Armitage Hux. Please see me after class.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I plan to write some different classroom scenes in the future. Which class would you all like to see them in next? Let me know in the comments! :)
> 
> Also, come [follow me](https://twitter.com/caffeinatedgir1) on Twitter! ^^


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hux faces Professor Snoke after class and is met with the unexpected.
> 
> Later, Hux and Rose have their first meeting for Potions class and plans immediately go awry.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this next chapter ended up being much longer than anticipated (whoops)...so I decided I would split it up into two chapters! Which means y'all will be getting the next update much sooner than the last couple. Yay! I will probably wait about week to post the next one - and hopefully this will allow me to get ahead a little in my writing and able to post updates more consistently/frequently. :)
> 
> Also, just a quick note: In the Harry Potter books, all of the houses are pretty secretive and it's considered very uncommon/unusual for students to visit the common rooms of other houses. However, I sort of took liberties in my fic and decided that wasn't much fun, so I developed my own headcanon that Hufflepuff House wouldn't really care if students from other houses visited their common room. But just wanted to note that that's my own headcanon for this alternative universe and not a reflection of J.K. Rowling's universe. 
> 
> Anyways, hope y'all enjoy! ^^

After the last student had left the Potions classroom, leaving Hux now completely at the mercy of the Professor, he forced himself to look up and meet his hollow, condemning gaze, trying not to let on how nervous he was. 

“Do you know why I asked you to stay behind today, Armitage?” Snoke finally asked, after several long, excruciating moments of silence had passed. 

“Erm…” Hux mumbled, struggling to maintain eye contact with the decrepit-looking man with the deformed face. “I-I think so…” 

“Speak up, boy. And look at me when I’m talking to you,” Snoke ordered.

Hux winced and looked up again at the Potions Master. “Sorry, Sir. I said...I think so.” 

Snoke looked at him expectantly, clearly waiting for him to elaborate.

Hux swallowed. “Is it...about class today? Getting partnered with Rose?” He guessed, trying to mentally and emotionally prepare himself for the shaming that was sure to follow. 

A small, amused - and decidedly twisted - smile appeared on Snoke’s face then. He was clearly enjoying Hux’s suffering. 

“Yes, that was most unfortunate, wasn’t it? I had expected you to do better. But I have every faith that you will be able to handle the likes of a little Hufflepuff girl,” Snoke said dismissively. “But no, that is not why I asked you to see me after class today.”

Snoke paused, letting the suspense - and thus, Hux’s discomfort - build. 

“I wanted to talk to you about Ben Solo,” Snoke said finally. 

Hux frowned, both confused and surprised. That was certainly not what he had been expecting. 

“...Ben Solo, Sir?”

“Yes. I am aware that you and he are...at odds. Is that a fair assessment?” 

Hux nodded, slowly, uncertain where this was leading. Somehow this subject did not put him more at ease.

“It’s a shame...” Snoke continued, rising from his desk and stepping around to the front of it, and thus, closer to Hux. “To see two of my most promising students have such a falling out. It’s like watching two of my own children cut ties with one another and not being able to do anything about it. It pains me so.” Snoke shook his head sadly. 

“...And all over a girl, no less. A teenage infatuation that likely won't even last. Tch.”

Snoke paused again and looked directly at Hux. Hux swallowed, feeling his uneasiness rise.

“I’m curious...What do you make of it all, Armitage?”

Hux blinked, surprised. "M-Me?" 

Another small, unsettling smile pulled at the corners of Snoke's thin lips. 

"Yes, you. Does it surprise you that I would want to know the thoughts and opinions of my most favorite student?"

His….His _ favorite _ student? Had he heard that correctly? Hux was now thoroughly confused. Especially with Professor Sloane's warning still fresh in his mind...

_ 'Be careful...Not everyone is what they seem....' _

Snoke laughed at Hux’s reaction. It was not a pleasant sound. 

“Relax, Armitage. You needn't be so nervous around me. You can tell me anything, dear boy. I promise whatever is said in this room will stay between the two of us. You have my word.” 

Hux nodded, slowly. “Erm, okay…” 

Snoke was sitting on the edge of his desk now, and made an encouraging gesture with his hand for Hux to continue talking. 

“Go on…Speak freely, boy.”

“Well…” Hux continued, “I think Ben Solo made a foolish decision, Sir.” 

Snoke’s smile grew. “Please, do elaborate…”

“Well, Rey is Muggle-born. An orphan. She comes from nothing; she's a nobody. Ben is not. He’s a pure-blood wizard. He comes from a long line of talented, successful witches and wizards. His... _ infatuation _ with Rey...It’s wrong. It’s despicable.” 

Hux was beginning to pick up steam now, becoming more animated as he spoke. It was as if some invisible force, which had been slowly building within him over time, repressed for so long, had suddenly been released. The floodgates had finally been opened, and there was no stopping the energy which came rushing forth now.

“It’s-It’s more than wrong. It’s an act of betrayal, of the worst kind. He’s a blood-traitor. Just like those Muggle-loving parents of his. I should have known...Should have seen it coming…”

Hux’s face had grown dark with resentment and his green eyes glassy with raw, unfiltered rage and emotion. But underneath all of that anger was real, genuine  _ hurt _ . How  _ dare _ Ben earn his trust, his respect...Only to go and do  _ this _ ? What was the point of any of it?

“There, there...You mustn't be so hard on yourself. He had us all fooled,” Snoke replied, placatingly. 

“I, too, thought he was loyal. Enlightened. That he’d truly turned his back on those in his life trying to stifle him and his true, untapped potential. I’d had such high hopes for him...It really is such a pity. I think perhaps there was just too much of his parents in him, after all.” 

Snoke shook his head again and sighed.

“But. We must look on the bright side of things, Armitage. Perhaps this a blessing in disguise.” 

Hux frowned, once again not following. “I’m sorry, but... What do you mean, Professor?”

Snoke smiled knowingly. “Well, perhaps it is better that we know where Ben’s true loyalties lie now, rather than finding out later on. Solo may be a lost cause...but now I can focus my efforts more on helping and guiding some of my other stronger, more talented students. Help them achieve success here at Hogwarts - and beyond.”

Snoke looked directly at Hux then, meeting his gaze. “Students like you, Hux.”

Hux stared at Snoke, one again floored. 

“You have accomplished a great deal here at Hogwarts already. And no doubt you will continue to do so. However, you must also begin to look beyond your time here as a student. You play your cards right, dear boy, and you will attain greatness beyond what you ever could have imagined…” 

Hearing Snoke say such complimentary things about him was both thrilling and terrifying at the same time. There was a small voice inside of him telling him to run the other way. But it was currently being drowned out by a much louder, much more powerful voice - a voice that incidentally sounded much like his father’s. It was telling him not to turn down such an opportunity, wherever it was leading. 

_ ‘Don’t be weak, Armitage. This is your chance to prove your worth. You would be a fool not to take it.’ _

“...What sort of greatness, Sir?” Hux asked finally.

Snoke smiled. 

“I’m so glad you asked…” The Potions Master stood up and began to pace the length of the classroom, hands laced behind his back. 

“Things are changing, Armitage. The dawn of a new age in the Wizarding World is fast-approaching, sooner than any of us realize. And we must be prepared. We must be on the right side of history.” 

Hux’s heart thudded inside his chest with both fear and anticipation. He was hanging on each and every one of Snoke’s words now, completely enraptured. 

“A new age?” He asked, leaning forward unconsciously.

“Indeed,” Snoke responded, continuing. “An age which witches and wizards such as ourselves have been anticipating for a very long time; patiently waiting and preparing. Well, now the wait is almost over. Soon, our kind will not have to live in secret or fear any longer...No longer will we have to bend to Muggles, and let them dictate our lives… Do you understand what I’m talking about, Hux?” Snoke asked, and turned to face him once more, gazing at him expectantly through his sunken, misshapen eyes. 

“You mean...the Eternal Order?” Hux asked, eyes widening. 

Snoke nodded his head in confirmation. 

“But...I thought…” Hux frowned, confused. “Wasn’t the Eternal Order disbanded when Palpatine was captured by the Ministry and sent to Azkaban?” 

Snoke laughed. “Come now, you know better than to believe everything the media tells you. That’s just what the Ministry  _ wants _ you to believe. If people knew otherwise, then they’d have a hard time controlling the masses. It’s in their best interest to stave off wide-spread panic.”

Snoke shrugged. “It’s worked in our favor, though. It’s allowed the Eternal Order to regroup and continue its operations covertly over the past several years. We’ve grown. We’re growing every day. And we are now stronger than ever before…”

Hux was quiet for a moment, his mind reeling with all of this new information, trying to absorb everything Snoke was saying. 

“But...What does this have to do with me?” 

Snoke smiled again, a slow, heinous smile. “Another excellent question.” Snoke paused, letting the suspense build for a moment. 

“In order to carry out its plans, the Eternal Order will need dedicated, talented, witches and wizards of all kinds, all ages and abilities, willing to pledge themselves to the cause.” He looked pointedly at Hux then.

Hux blinked. “And you want...me? But...but I’m just a student, Sir. What use could I possibly be to the Eternal Order?” 

“Armitage, my dear lad. Do not ever let anyone - including yourself - underestimate you because of your age. You must always be confident in yourself and your abilities. Do you understand?” 

Hux swallowed and nodded silently. 

“Good. Now as to your question...All will be revealed, in due time. But first, before I can entrust you with any more information, you must first prove yourself as trustworthy and dedicated to the cause. The Eternal Order can’t just go around giving away its secrets without a little...assurance first.”

“What do I need to do?” Hux asked immediately, his expression earnest. “Just tell me what to do and I’ll do it.”

“Ahhh, so eager, ” Snoke chuckled. "That is what I like to see."

“For now...I don’t want you to do anything differently. Just go about your business as usual. Attend your classes and complete your duties, and perform them well. Continue to prove yourself as a leader among your peers. Earn their trust and respect. Because you will need to use it eventually. Think you can manage that?”

“Yes, Sir.” Hux nodded. "I can do that."

“Very good,” Hux replied. “Oh, and starting immediately, we will also begin to meet privately for some special, advanced lessons. If that is agreeable to you?” 

Hux nodded again, a small, almost hungry smile appearing on his face despite his best efforts to contain his excitement.

“Excellent. I will send more details later. Well then, if you have no further questions, then you are dismissed.”

“No, Sir. No questions.” 

Snoke nodded and then gestured towards the door, indicating he was free to leave.

Hux gathered up his belongings and stood to leave.

“Oh, and Hux? One last thing... I’m sure it goes without saying, but your discretion would be most appreciated. You must not tell anyone about what you heard inside this room today, nor of our private lessons. Not to any of your friends. And not even your father. Do you understand?” 

“Yes, Professor. Of course. I understand.”

“That’s a good lad. I’ll be in touch.” 

Hux nodded and then left the classroom. 

Once on the other side of the door, Hux allowed himself one brief moment to celebrate his success. 

This. This was exactly what he had been working for. Finally, someone had recognized his worth, all his hard work - and wanted to reward him for it. This was his chance. His chance to show everyone that he was a great wizard with the potential to be an even greater one. Not only that, but he had the opportunity to really make a difference. To do something important. Something that mattered.

_ He _ would matter.

Then maybe, just maybe… Brendol would finally accept him. Perhaps his father would finally look at him with pride and respect instead of disgust and embarrassment. Perhaps he would view him as something other than a weak-willed bastard; a burden and black mark on his reputation because of who his mother was. That's really all he'd ever really wanted. 

Hux smiled at the thought. 

It was Saturday. The Hogwarts Grounds had been relatively quiet because of the first Hogsmeade trip of the year, so Hux had taken the opportunity to get a head start on some assignments so that he wouldn't fall behind when it came time for him to start his private lessons with Snoke. 

He sat at a desk in the vacant Slytherin Common Room and worked diligently, stopping only to offer Millicent some head rubs when she came out of their dormitory and sought his attention, jumping up into his lap and purring. 

He lost track of time while he was working, and only realized exactly how long it had been when some of his fellow Slytherins began to slowly trickle in from their field trip, carrying all their spoils from Hogsmeade with them and chattering excitedly about how good the food at the Three Broomsticks was today, or how they got the best deal on a new sweater at Gladrags Wizardwear...and so on. 

Hux tried to tune them out and go back to his studies, but then realized what time it was and groaned. 

It was time for his scheduled project meeting with his Potions partner. He was definitely not looking forward to working with the weird, chattery, Hufflepuff girl - but he also wasn’t going to be the reason they failed their final project or give her reason to complain about him by being late. Gritting his teeth in consternation, Hux gathered up his belongings and then stopped by his dorm room to pick up any additional materials he needed. Millicent mewled at him forlornly and Hux scrounged up an extra treat to appease her with. 

“I know. I don’t like it either. But I’ll be back soon, love. Promise.” 

Millicent looked at him dubiously, but took the offered treat and trotted back over to her large, fluffy bed to enjoy.

With a sigh, Hux bid his precious ginger princess farewell and then made his way to the library. 

Hux was surprised - and disappointed - to find Rose already waiting for him outside of the library when he arrived. He didn’t like feeling one-upped by anyone - least of all by someone like Rose Tico. However, he quickly forgot about that when he saw her reading what appeared to be a notice posted on the outside of the door and frowning. He stood behind her to read what it said: 

_ LIBRARY CLOSED FOR CLEANING. _

“Oh for the love of-” Hux muttered unhappily, frowning. “Why on earth would they clean the library in the middle of the day? That’s just poor planning,” Hux complained. 

Just then, the door suddenly burst open, nearly hitting Rose in the face and sending her stumbling backwards with a surprised yelp - right into Hux. In an effort to stop them both from falling, he instinctively reached out and caught her by the arm to steady them. She looked up at him in surprise and he quickly released his hold on her, feeling his ears grow warm around the edges. 

“Watch it, Tico. Are you always so clumsy?” He snapped at her.

Rose opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted.

“Out of my way!” A large, thick man with small eyes and a wide, squashed nose barked at them then and scowled at the pair. It was Unkar Plutt, the Hogwarts Caretaker. 

“Library’s closed, can’t ye read?” He growled. “You bloody kids can’t follow simple rules. And somehow  _ I _ always have to be the one to clean up yer messes. Like when one of you decides to set offa bunch o’ Dungbombs in the library, I gotta spend the rest of  _ my _ day gettin’ rid o’ the stench! Tell me how  _ that’s _ fair!” He threw up his gigantic hands and then stomped past them, muttering a string of curses under his breath. 

“Well. What now?” Hux asked pointedly, wondering why, once again, the world seemed specifically out to get him. 

“Well...We could find a spot to work outside. It’s a nice day and-” Rose began, but Hux quickly interrupted her.

“Oh, no. No, that’s quite impossible. I’m afraid me and nature don’t exactly get along. Allergies, you see. And sun.” 

“Right…” Rose said, eyeing him with a touch of irritation. “Well then, how about one of our Common Rooms?”

Hux scoffed. “Well we can’t go to the Slytherin Common Room, of course. We’re very strict about allowing members of other houses in. No, that’s completely out of the question.”

Rose rolled her eyes. “Okay,  _ fine _ . Then the Hufflepuff Common Room.”

Hux eyed her skeptically, narrowing his eyes at her. He didn’t really have a good argument or excuse against it, other than it made him feel vaguely uneasy.

“I don’t know…” He replied, hesitantly. 

Rose sighed. “It’s  _ fine. _ We’re Hufflepuffs. We let everyone in. And most people are still at Hogsmeade anyways. Now come  _ on _ , we’ve already lost valuable time,” she said and started off in that direction without looking to see if he was following her or not. 

Hux clenched his jaw, feeling his anxiety spiking. He _ really _ did not like this. This was a deviation from the plan. He hated when plans changed, whatever the reason. It made him feel out of control. Helpless. Even if it was something seemingly small or insignificant to other people, it was a big deal to him. 

He took a couple deep, calming breaths. He would not let Rose Tico, of all people, see him lose his cool. He would never hear the end of it from Snoke, from his  _ father _ , if word somehow got back to them that he couldn’t handle this one little challenge. 

_ ‘You’re weak, Armitage. Pathetic.’  _

Hux shut his eyes tight and shook his head, as if to shake away that unwanted voice in his head. 

No, he was not weak. His meeting with Snoke was proof of that, was it not? He would show them...He would show all of them.

He had to walk quickly to make up for the head start Rose had on him, but it wasn’t too hard given her much shorter legs. He was at least a whole foot - if not more - taller than her (and at the ripe age of fifteen, he was likely to add a few more inches before he was finished growing). 

Eventually, they wound up on the basement level of the castle, in a brightly-lit corridor that led to the kitchens, lined with many cheerful paintings - mostly of fruit. Instead of stopping at the large portrait that served as the entrance to the kitchens, however, they came to a halt at a small nook on the right hand side of the corridor, where there were several barrels stacked against the wall. Hux watched as Rose tapped one of the barrels in a specific pattern - and the lid to the barrel swung open. 

Then, to his utter horror and disbelief, he saw her begin to crawl through the opening. Rose turned, saw the look on the Slytherin boy’s face and rolled her eyes. 

“I’m sorry, is Your Highness too good to  _ crawl _ ? I’d hurry up, before the door closes again. Unless you’re certain you have the pattern memorized. If not, hope you like the smell of vinegar.”

She disappeared fully inside the passageway then and Hux ground his teeth unhappily, but climbed into the barrel, muttering his displeasure as he began to crawl after Rose. The door shut immediately and automatically behind him, leaving him with no other choice but to continue creeping along on all fours in indignity. 

He sighed heavily and kept crawling.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you're on Twitter, feel free to [follow me](https://twitter.com/caffeinatedgir1) on my fandom account. ^^


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _“I’d much rather be sad and lonely than a filthy, Muggle-loving Mudblood like you.”_
> 
> Sparks fly and heated words are exchanged during Rose and Hux's first project meeting for Potions class.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Here's Chapter Five! 
> 
> FYI, there is a Brendol quote in this chapter that is not my own words, but a quote from one of the SW novels, _Aftermath: Life Debt_ , found on Wookiepedia.
> 
> Anyways, hope you enjoy the chapter! <3

“Leave it to Hufflepuff House to come up with something this absurd...I feel like a bloody hamster...” Hux grumbled to himself as he crawled on all fours through the narrow tunnel, presumably leading to the Hufflepuff Common Room.

Finally - and blessedly - they emerged from the passageway and into the Hufflepuff Basement. As Hux stepped more fully into the room and got his bearings, he couldn’t help but gawk in spite of himself.

He’d heard descriptions and rumours of the Hufflepuff Basement before, of course. He just hadn’t paid them much attention before because, quite frankly, he hadn't cared. However, seeing it now, in person...Well, there was no denying that it had a certain... _ charm _ about it; a charm that Hux, surprisingly, did not find to be  _ wholly _ offensive. 

In stark contrast to the dark, gothic-style architecture and overall aesthetic of the Slytherin Dungeon, the Hufflepuff Basement was warm and sunny and welcoming with its earth-tones and its comfy-looking, overstuffed sofas and chairs. The ceilings were low, causing Hux to feel like he needed to duck his head slightly - though it somehow felt roomy and spacious at the same time. Natural light poured in from the many circular windows near the ceiling, and yellow wall-hangings as well as burnished copper fixtures were dispersed throughout the room. The focal point of the room was clearly the honey-colored mantelpiece over the crackling fireplace, with badgers etched into the wood - and the large portrait of Helga Hufflepuff beamed down at them from above.

However, the most impressive and fascinating part about the Hufflepuff Basement to Hux, by far, were the myriad of interesting plants and colourful blooms adorning every nook and cranny of the underground room. There were potted plants and hanging plants; magical plants and non-magical ones; Some lined shelves underneath the windows - while others hung from the ceiling or decorated various surfaces in pots of all shapes and sizes. 

Hux simply stood there for a moment, gaping, as he took it all in. Rose raised her eyebrows at him, amused by his reaction.

“What? Were you expecting a hovel with dirt floors and badgers running around underfoot?” She teased him. 

Hux ignored her. “Is that...a Wiggentree?” He asked then, noticing the seemingly nondescript, small, potted tree in a little nook along the wall. 

Rose followed his eyes. “Yup!” She confirmed, then looked over at Hux again, tilting her head to the side curiously at his interest. “You can take a closer look, if you want. Just mind the Bowtruckles, they're feisty.” 

Hux snorted. “Well,  _ obviously _ . If they’re any good at their job they would be.” 

He stepped closer to the magical rowan tree, and peered down at it. It was clearly still a juvenile judging by its size and young-looking branches and growths. He was careful not to get too close to it, however, especially because the little branch-like creatures guarding it were now aware of his presence and were waving their long, sharp, finger-like appendages at him menacingly. Hux didn’t pay them any mind.

“I’ve never seen such a young one like this before...Fascinating...” Hux mused aloud, mostly to himself. 

“Wow, you’re even more of a nerd than I thought,” Rose remarked. 

Hux shot her scathing look. 

“Oh,  _ relax _ ,” Rose said with a roll of her eyes, “I was just joking. I want to be a healer, so I do my fair share of geeking out over plants too,” she said and then turned and strode purposefully across the room. Hux followed her path, angry with himself for being curious.

“This-” Rose began, revealing a small, potted plant in her hands as she walked over to him, “is my all-time favorite magical herb.”

Hux peered at the plant she held in front of him, unable to help himself where plants were concerned. At first glance, it was a relatively unremarkable flowering plant with plain white flowers, closely resembling that of a Snowdrop flower. However, the unusual jet black stems were what made the otherwise innocuous plant stand out, and the Slytherin boy recognized it immediately.

“Moly,” he said, confidently, and Rose nodded with a small smile. “A small, but powerful magical herb that can be eaten and protects the consumer from enchantments. Also a main ingredient used in the Wiggenweld Potion,” Hux continued, reciting nearly verbatim the textbook description. 

“Yup! That’s the one,” Rose said and gave the pot a fond pat.

“I fear I may regret asking this, but... _why_ is it your favorite?” Hux asked then, using sarcasm to mask any real, genuine interest he felt in learning anything about his freak of a potions partner.

Rose shrugged. “I mean aside from the obvious answer that it contains strong healing properties...I suppose I can relate to it somewhat.” 

Hux snorted. “Relate to a plant? And you say  _ I’m _ the nerd? Riiiight.” 

Rose smiled at that, and Hux felt some strange, unfamiliar feeling stir in him in direct response. He ignored it, not wanting to examine it too closely. 

“Yeah, I mean….it’s a small, plain-looking plant. Doesn’t  _ look _ like anything special, right? So it just reminds me that...Sometimes our strengths lie beneath the surface. We’re more than what meets the eye.” She smiled down fondly at the little plant.

Hux was struck by that comparison, and surprised to find that it actually resonated very deeply with him. More deeply than he cared to admit. He could hear his father’s sneering voice, telling him how worthless he was, as he had countless times before.

_ ‘You’re a weak-willed boy, Armitage. Thin as a slip of paper and just as useless _ .’ 

Well, what did Brendol know, anyways? He would show him. Soon, he would have his father’s respect, just as Snoke had promised him.

“How very  _ Hufflepuff _ of you,” Hux said finally - and dismissively. 

He certainly wasn’t going to let Rose, of all people, know that he actually related to her in some way. Still, he couldn’t fully hide his jealousy that Rose and her housemates had access to all of this. Sure, Professor Tano - Head of Hufflepuff House and the Herbology Professor - had allowed him unrestricted access to the Greenhouse, as the President of the Herbology club. But there were some specimens here in the Hufflepuff Basement that he was itching to get his hands on. He eyed the Moly longingly. 

“I’m sure Professor Tano wouldn’t mind if you rehomed one of these,” Rose said then, recognizing the look on Hux’s face. She lifted up the potted Moly plant enticingly.

A voice inside of her chastised her then, asking why on earth she was being so nice to a boy that had done nothing but terrorize and humiliate her and her friends since their very first year. It was so...counterintuitive. She should be trying to get back at him for all the pain he’d caused. Not offering him gifts! What was wrong with her?!

Hux considered her offer briefly, a look of surprise crossing his face at the gesture, but then shook his head. 

“No. I can’t. Millicent might try to eat it, and who knows what it would do to her.”

Rose blinked. “...Millicent?” 

“Ah. My cat.” Hux explained shortly. He sometimes forgot that most people didn’t know he owned a pet. 

“You have a cat?” Rose asked, staring at him in bewilderment.

Hux rolled his eyes, unsurprised by her reaction. It was not an uncommon one. “Yes. I have a cat. No need to look so surprised.” 

“Sorry,” Rose replied. “I just...You don’t really strike me as a cat person, is all. Or an  _ anything _ person, for that matter…”

“Thanks,” Hux responded dryly. “I  _ don’t _ like animals, as a general rule. But Millie is the one exception.”

“Well...What kind of cat is she? How long have you had her?” Rose asked then, as she carefully placed the plant she was holding back where it belonged.

“She’s an orange, long-haired Persian. I got her as a kitten when I started at Hogwarts. Now can we get started on this project? We’ve already wasted quite enough time.” 

“ _ Awwww! _ ” Rose exclaimed, grinning widely for reasons Hux couldn’t even fathom. “A ginger, just like you! How sweet! I bet she was such a cute kitten, too!”

Hux rolled his eyes at her enthusiasm and unnatural cheerfulness.

“Yes, she was very adorable,” Hux answered matter-of-factly, with a touch of irritation. “ _ Project _ ,” he repeated and selected one of the larger tables in the room for them to work on and started setting up shop. 

“Right, sorry,” Rose said and followed Hux’s lead, pulling up a chair beside him and opening her textbook to the chapter on the Strengthening Potion.

They both spent some time independently reading their textbooks and familiarizing themselves with the potion’s properties and its brewing instructions. 

While Hux was hyper-focused and disciplined in his reading and note-taking, Rose, he quickly discovered, was almost the complete opposite. She fidgeted a lot, chewing on the stem of her quill or twirling it around; tapping her foot on the floor or adjusting her blue cat-eye glasses on her face. She doodled and drew pictures on her parchment too as she took notes, and unbeknownst to Hux, this helped the information to stick for the Hufflepuff girl.

After a while, all the fidgeting, all of the  _ noise _ , began to grate on him. 

“Could you please  _ stop that _ ?” He hissed at her through clenched teeth. 

Rose went still and looked over at him, frowning in confusion. “Stop what?”

“Oh, come on. All of that- that  _ noise. _ The tapping and the...the  _ everything _ ," he said, gesturing at her vaguely. "It’s very distracting. I can’t concentrate.”

“Oh,” Rose replied, “No, I can't. Not really,” she said simply.

Hux scowled at her. “And why _ not _ ?”

“Well, it helps  _ me _ concentrate better, for one. For some reason, my brain just works better if I'm  _ doing _ something while I'm learning. It likes movement.”

“Of course it does,” Hux grumbled, loudly enough for her to hear him. Just when he thought he couldn’t despise her any more - or that she couldn’t get any  _ weirder _ \- she went and proved him wrong by saying things like _ that _ . It was almost as if she existed for the sole purpose of torturing him and making his life an actual, living hell. He must have offended the gods in some way and this was his punishment. 

Either way, he was pretty sure he’d rather endure literally any other punishment than this long, drawn-out, slow suffering that was being partnered with the likes of Rose Bloody Tico.

He heaved a dramatic, put-upon sigh. Before he could open his mouth though, Rose cut him off.

“You know what, I’m tired of your whole attitude,” she snapped, slamming her quill down on the table and turning to face him. 

“Yeah,” she continued quickly, before he could respond. “The whole ‘I’m-Armitage-Hux-and-I’m-so-much-better-than-everyone-else’ thing? It’s getting really old.”

Hux narrowed his eyes at her. “Careful, Tico. I’d tread very lightly-”

Rose scoffed, cutting him off. 

“And again with the threats! It’s always threats and intimidation with you. You act all high and mighty and powerful...but you know what? I think it’s all just one big front. You’re not that special, Armitage Hux. People like you...they just look down on everyone else because it makes them feel better about themselves. I bet you’re just...just insecure! So you want other people to feel as horrible and miserable as you do.” 

She glared at him through her deep, expressive brown eyes that were filled with such pure, raw emotion that it almost knocked the breath right out of him right then and there. She wore her emotions right there on her sleeve, clearly not holding anything back or not caring what he thought. There was something about that undeniably fiery spirit - in her fearlessness in standing up to him and speaking her mind - that for the briefest of moments, made Hux forget that he hated her. In fact, that very same look in her eyes had the ridiculously frustrating ability to completely confound him and befuddle him altogether. It was as if he wasn’t capable of putting together a coherent thought or sentence in that moment - and that was so very unlike him. This frustrated him even more.

“Well...? Did I get it right?” She prompted after a moment when he didn’t reply, her tone full of vitriol. 

But Hux was no longer looking at her anymore. His already pale face had seemingly drained of all color and he was staring past Rose, his mouth agape. 

Rose, clearly misreading the situation, smiled smugly, feeling victorious at his lack of a comeback. “Yeah, that’s what I thou-”

“ _ Shhh! _ ” Hux whisper-shouted, immediately cutting her off, and ever-so-slowly and carefully, pulled his wand out of the pocket of his robes.

Rose frowned, confused and slightly worried at his behavior. “What? What is it?”

“ _ Don’t. Move. _ ” Hux warned her then, speaking slowly. “Don’t be alarmed. But there’s a- a large-” he paused and swallowed nervously, looking as if he was about to jump out of his own skin, “a large spider. Just there. Crawling across your textbook.” He nodded with his head subtly in that direction. 

“I’m going to cast a spell now to get rid of the beast. Don’t. Move. A muscle.” He warned, and lifted his wand and opened his mouth to speak the incantation.

“Incen-” 

“ _ EXPELLIARMUS! _ ” 

Quick as lightning, Rose had procured her own wand and cast the disarming charm, effectively causing Hux’s wand to fly out of his hand. It hurtled through the air and landed somewhere on the other side of the room. Hux yelped in surprise, jumping up from his chair in a flash and then glared at Rose. 

“What in the bloody  _ hell _ was that for, Tico?” He demanded, green eyes flashing angrily. “You could have broken my wand and, and- Wait. What are you doing?” 

He stared at her in abject horror, watching as she reached for the giant, hairy, six-legged insect on her textbook and quickly but gently scooped it up into her bare hands, then cradled it protectively against her. Hux blinked. What was happening right now? 

Rose glared at him. “The Fire-Making spell, Hux? Really? Was that necessary?” 

“I- But- It-” He stammered helplessly, gesturing at the furry, many-eyed creature peeking out at him innocently from between her fingers. He shuddered. 

“For Merlin’s sake, Hux. Get a grip. It’s  _ just _ a tarantula.”

“Yes, precisely!” Hux exclaimed. “Why on earth would you want to keep that...that  _ thing _ around?” His features twisted into an expression of pure disgust.

Rose rolled her eyes, impatient. “ _ Because _ , dummy. It’s not just a ‘thing.’ This is Gus. He’s my pet tarantula.”

“Your...pet...?” He stared at her blankly as if he didn’t comprehend what she was saying. “But...  _ Why? _ ” 

Rose sighed. “ _Because_ … He’s cute. And interesting. And very friendly. Chilean rose tarantulas are very docile and sociable you know.”

Hux just stared at her as if she had grown two heads. 

“You know, male rose hair tarantulas are only supposed to live about five years. But this guy right here,” she opened her hands then to reveal the dusty grey-brown spider who then seemed to stare directly at Hux with its many, blinking black eyes, “has already lived past seven. He’s special. Aren’t you, Gus-Gus?” Rose all but cooed and proceeded to gingerly stroke the tarantula’s back with an index finger. It closed all of its eyes, as if it was actually  _ enjoying _ being pet. 

Hux looked on in disbelief. Was he really seeing this? Or had he stepped into some alternate dimension at some point without his knowledge?

“Well what is he doing out  _ here _ ?” Hux asked finally, as he eyed Rose and her grotesque monster of a pet warily. 

Rose shrugged. “Who knows? Maybe Rey or one of my other dormmates were playing with him and forgot to secure the lid to his tank. I’ll have to talk to them and remind them he is quite the escape artist if given half a chance. Aren’t you, Gus?”

Gus gave a sudden excited  _ hop! _ in response - causing Hux to recoil quickly, putting more distance between himself and the hairy beast. 

“Well I guess I had better put him back. Before someone tries to set him on fire again,” Rose said, glaring pointedly at Hux who simply glowered back at her. 

He wasn’t about to argue with her about removing the monster from his presence though. So when Rose disappeared with Gus to tuck him back in bed and sing him a lullaby - or whatever nonsense she did with her ugly little pet - Hux went on a hunt for his displaced wand. He found it easily enough, having landed on the floor well away from the fireplace - and was relieved to find it in one piece. 

One could never be too careful with wands, however, so he examined it more closely to be sure it didn’t have any less obvious damage or defects. He turned the wand over in his hands gingerly, almost as if holding a baby rather than an enchanted piece of wood, and carefully went over all twelve inches of it. 

His wand was made of vine with phoenix feather core - the rarest of the wand cores (and the most temperamental). Hux still remembered the day his wand chose him. It was his proudest moment, and aside from Millicent of course, it was his most treasured possession. Many witches and wizards considered their wands to be an extension of themselves. To be a part of them. Hux was one of those wizards.

“It’s not broken is it?” 

Hux looked up to see Rose, who had apparently returned without him noticing, peering down at his wand with a slightly guilty look on her face, nibbling on her bottom lip nervously. Hux narrowed his eyes at her.

“No, it’s not. Lucky for  _ you _ ,” Hux replied grumpily and tucked his wand safely away inside one of his robe pockets. “Honestly, I’ve never seen such blatant disregard for another wizard’s wand in my life,” he continued, shooting her a withering glare. 

“You were about to set my pet on fire!” Rose protested loudly. “What was I supposed to do, just let you  _ incinerate _ him?” 

Hux gave her a look that clearly implied that is exactly what he would have preferred. 

Rose sighed loudly and threw up her hands. “You are impossible! Do you not possess one single, solitary ounce of empathy or compassion for others?”

“No,” Hux replied bluntly, his expression and tone flat and emotionless. “In my experience, empathy and compassion are not very practical or useful. They only get in the way. They make you weak.”

Rose just stared at him for a moment, slightly taken aback by his words - and the absolute sincerity and vehemence behind them. It was obvious he really believed what he was saying.

“What a sad, lonely, way to live your life,” Rose replied finally, shaking her head.

“Stop that. I don’t need your pity,” Hux spat at her. “I’d much rather be sad and lonely than a filthy, Muggle-loving Mudblood like you,” he sneered. 

“ _ Don’t _ call me that,” Rose shot back, whatever sympathy she’d felt for him vanishing in an instant. 

A small, twisted smile played on Hux’s lips and he gave a cruel, mocking laugh. “I can call you whatever I bloody well please,” he said, taunting her, and stepping closer into her space. And closer. And closer.

They were only inches apart from one another now, and had Rose been taller, they’d have been nearly face to face. He lifted his eyebrows then as he looked down at her, nostrils flaring in clear detestation. 

“Why? What are you going to do about it... _ Mudblood _ ?”

Rose’s brown eyes flashed angrily, and she felt her face grow hot with rage, her pulse increasing rapidly. She balled her small hands into tight, white-knuckled fists by her side, refusing to flinch or back down - or otherwise let him think she was scared or intimidated by him. She lifted her chin defiantly, her lips pressed into a thin, yet determined line.

“You don’t scare me, Hux. Like I said before, this is all probably just a big act. You’re really just some scared, insecure little boy, with a pathetic obsession with trying to make other people feel as miserable as you do. It’s sad, really. And you’re starting to seem a little desperate.”

Hux sneered down at her, piercing her with a threatening, dangerous look that was full of malice and repulsion. Rose found that it was oddly both thrilling and terrifying at the same time to have someone look at her like that; to know that she’d caused such a strong reaction from someone. 

It was also then, with Hux standing as close as he was to her, that she could make out little details of his face that she’d never noticed before. From the smattering of freckles across the bridge of his nose and cheeks, to the impossibly pale color of his eyelashes, down to the striking green color of his eyes. The color reminded her of the green of the ocean, with its ever-shifting shades and depths - along with a hint of grey, like the darkening clouds of a stormy sky. She might actually find him to be kind of beautiful, if it wasn’t for the fact he currently looked like he wanted to kill her several times over.

But there was something else she noticed, too, as she got a close look at his face. Beyond all the loathing and the obvious hatred and anger towards her...Rose saw something else that she wasn’t expecting. Underneath all of that other stuff, he looked genuinely sad. There was undeniable sorrow - and also  _ pain _ . For a split second, it made Rose regret some of the things she had just said to him.

Of course, that feeling faded the moment he opened his mouth again.

“Well, then you’re a  _ fool _ , Tico,” he replied finally. “You should be afraid of me,” he continued, his voice barely above a whisper, the coolness making all the hair on the back of her neck stand straight up. 

Just then, the door to the Hufflepuff Common Room swung open and a couple students entered, returning from their trip to Hogsmeade. They stopped when they saw Hux, giving him matching looks of surprise and confusion. Hux glowered at them, but stepped away from Rose.

“You don’t know me,” he hissed at her, getting one final word in, before turning abruptly away and beginning to pack his belongings in haste.

“This meeting is over,” he said brusquely. “We’ll divide the task of collecting the potion ingredients in half. I’ll get the first half, you get the second. We’ll make our first batch next Saturday.” 

“Fine,” Rose replied shortly, crossing her arms across her chest. She watched then as he shouldered past some of her housemates and left the way they’d come.

She wanted to feel relieved. Victorious even. But all she could think about, even hours later, was those eyes and what she’d seen reflected in them. Was it possible? Could there really be more to Armitage Hux than the hateful, perfectionist, blood-purist? 

Even in his denial, Rose could feel she had been right about him. More right than she knew.

But then, why didn’t that feel like a good thing?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If you enjoyed this chapter, please consider leaving a comment. And a special thank you to those of you who have already done so, they are so encouraging and help motivate me to keep the story going! :)


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